Hub and spoke connection



'u 1924. I y

29 l.. D. sTEPHENsoN HUB AND SPOKE CONNECTION 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

Filed April 9. 1923 W Wm July 29, 1924.

L. D. STEPHENSON HUB AND SPOKE `GONNEICTION 2 Sheets-Shevt 2 Filed April 9, 1923 Patented July 29, 1924.V Y

UTED STATES anonimi) DEE sTErHEnsoN, Yor AUBURN, cALIFonNrA.

HUB y.AN'D- SPOKE CONNECTION,

Applicaton led April 9,

To au whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LEoNARD D. STEPHEN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Auburn, county of Placer',

and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Hub and Spoke Connection, of which the following Vis a specification.YV 1

My invention relates Vto improvements in wheel construction. for wheels of large .diameter which are to be subjected to heavy duty.` i r My invention is particularly designed for use 'in connection with logging carts of the Vtype commonly employed for conveying logs from the woods to a mill or loading point. Carts of this type are provided with wheels of very large diameter so thatsone end of a klarge log or logs, may be suspended hetween the wheels to facilitate the dragging of the log by means of tractor, horses or other pulling means in the well Vknown -manner. f L

The wheels of such carts are subjected to extremely hard usage, not only because of the great weight ofthe logs which is partly supported thereon, but also because of. the roughness of the ground andthe many oh- Vstructions encountered. Y, The extremely heavy loads and the constant jolt-ing,` imposed upon the ordinary wheel causerthe rim and spokes to dish outwardly from .the hub' and vin a comparatively short time -cause the wheel to collapse. "Furthermore,` the frequent'breaking'of spokes duetorcontact either with the log being dragged or ,with voutside obstacles such as stumps, etc., necessitates the entiredismantlingof 'the wheelto effect a replacement. In addition to this it is necessary to shrink the tire onto :the wheel, which, as is well known, 4isga process requiring much time and-labor.Y It Vis thus seen that the; life ofthe ordinary `wheel under these conditions isat Vbest very short, and Athat the ,wheels must `be entirely withdrawn from service for, ex-v tended periods of time with to effect necessary repairs. It is therefore my primaryobject to provide an improved wheel affording increased strength and durability.

Another object of my invention i's to provide a wheel in which the spokes may be readily replaced without dismantling the wheel.

.A further object. is to. provide an mgreat frequency Y formed in therinner end thereof'to receive 5a shank V12 formed lupon Van adjuster `13 slidably mounted within the socket. A, rod

1923. Serial No. 631,018.

`adjusted to compensate for expansion and shrinking of the spokes kand felloes due to changing atmospheric conditions.

Another object is to provide a construction which will result in greatly strengthening the wheel with only a slight increase in cost, and which will materially reduce the cost of repairs.

I accomplishthese and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings and in whichf s n Fig. l is a broken side elevation of my improved wheel. i Y

Fig. .2 is a 'front elevation, partly in section, of the wheel Vshown in Fig. l.

. Fig., 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the spoke adjusting means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail showing a side elevation of a `portion of the hub and the spoke adjusting means mounted thereon.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the manner.V in' which ythespokes are secured upon the rim of the wheel. f

Referring to the drawingsr the numeral 1V is used to designate in general ahub having the usual bearingV portion 2 and providedwith annular .flangesy 3 formed adjacentnthe ends of the hub. A plurality of spoke receiving' sockets 4 are formed upon' `the outer sides ofV the flanges; 3,. to receive' upon the inner side of the `felly -9 of vther Each socket has a reduced Yopening-1,1

14` is threaded into the shank 12 of'each'` adjuster as at 16, said rodvv beingarr'anged in axial alignment with thesocket and ad,- juster and with the spoke 6 associated therewith and extending inwardly to the hub.

Ehe inner end Qteachfrod 14. arcta-@ably engaged by a recessed lug 1:6 formedr-upon the hub to serve as" an abutment ,fork th'e rod. A squared portion 17 is formed upon each rod 14: to receive "a wrench or otherl cross section and are secured upen-the"fel'ly in engagement 'with theinner side'a'ndlone -edge" of the felly; from which said rim 4is formed inanysuitable manner; /TIh'e'l recesses 7 are 'formedv lugs east vu'pon the plate and are' of sucient depth -to"'for1f n a rigid en agement fwth'the" ends "or-'the spokes; '[(vpkes v:19 are" formedn th tomff'the' reeesses 7tojb ends of the'spldkes'f'to preva fof-withinthereeessesf The .socketsIv "/i of' the hub: 1 are arranged in regulariy si aced relatienfupl'flHarige v3; the socket'so'f one'fla-"nge"-be'ingfv arranged midway between the socketsjuj'boin"v thebther lflange' so thatialternate'spke's Glo'f tli'ewheel will be engaged upon'opp'osite'flanges. The ia'nges 3 'and '.soek'etst and" the 'recesses' '7 of the plates 8 vare' arranged atl'anf'angle adapte-dito' align th'esp'okes between'the outer sides ofthe ianges and the lapproximate center of the felly 9 rof the wheel'as best shown in EFigi 2. of thev Ldramfingsl The spokes 6 being mounted between the socketselfand thep'lates S'as above described7 the rods Mare rotated in a direction adapte'd'to causerthe adjuster-"13 to be advanced, by means o f the threaded cdnnfectioiwith the rods, against th'e'innerends of the 'spokes @spikes 21'be'ing formed upon the adj usters to engage the "spoke andi prevent rotation of the adjuster relative'of the spoke.` As the adjuster is'advaneed againstfthe jspoke, the spoke is pressedoutwardlyl against'k the rim of 'the wheel 'until the desired almount of'pres'sure is created. "Thenuts `1`8="are then advanced into'hrm 'engagement' with the' innerv 'ends o'f the adj 'u's'ters :tdserve as Checks whereby the'adjustersfare locked in position; "The several adjnsters arsnde pendently tightened against the'spokesto create :a uniform' outward "pressure 'upon rthe riinand thereby maintain 'the' 'wheel intrue alignment. The initia'lf tightening "of the adjuster 'against the spokesmay of eour'se be changedlto increase or decrease thev pres- *theresure against the'r'im asthe spokes andrini shrink orY "expand"=duringdifferenti seasons of the 'year under varyiiigatmbspherieebnditons. Thust daring the 'het v"dry 'weather when the spokes' and felloes" areeausedfto shrinl,'tlie"-'rcls aremoved to tighten" the spokes against'therim and compensate for the-"looseningf 'the spokes" Whiencomnonly f eurs"i undeifsielrcnd'itions, l" y *i 'Such a-repla'cement, it will readily be seen can be effected in a very short time and with very little labor,therebyavoiding the time andl expense necessary to remo've'ths 'tire from the lf'elly,"disnioi'int 'the felloesr and inserti the ne\`v"'spo-l're"a`nd'.thereafter again ishrnk'fthe tire *upon the'ielly 'as-'now done lwth'wlieels'iofthe'type "in common usage. f "-n'proti'ce the'lang'es 3 "soekets 4 are c ast integrally with the hu'blfrnifsteel, thirteen-sockets' being' prevded uponleach Hangs to aeonirnodaie a eeffssperdng nurnfberrffsp'kes "esad sp'okes'be'g'nclned equally `from the center of the rim tofth'e ends'n'fthefhubj-- iin tlrsimanner' 'the' 'strength "of `{ih-ef'wheeis gfeatiynefea-sedas thee-in'- eiined re'lat'enofthespokes prevents a disningof 'thefwheell'in' either direeti'n.v By connecting the spokes'alternately' upon oppo'si'te ends of the huba'gieater numberof spokes'ca'n 'be"'provifded, the wheel being thereby further strengthened.

lVhile Ih'ave 'shown' and described what I now donsider to'be the" preferred embodiment of my invent-ion, the details of construetionfwhieh 'Il have disclosed VmayI of cour's'e 'be modified infmlany ways. I therefr'e' do' not 'desire to restrict myself to the rre'cise disclosure' herein Contained but wish to avail' myself of 'all "modihationsf which may' fall within the "sepe of the appended *Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and `desirexto secure by `Letters Pais-a1; is-

` v"1. In a"wheel having a rim and hub7 annular flanges"'forriied" 'adjacent' the ends Vf the hub `;"s`ookets` formed' upon' thef 'o'uter sides of the' flanges; spokes eoIineotedbetween said Ysockets ythe rim 'adjusting elements slida'bl'y mounted'wit-hi'n the sockets inengagementf'with the iiiner'ends of the spokes; land arod threaded into e'ach' `adjusting element" 'and bearing" against'the hub' whereby Aal"-i"ota'ton"f the'rd`w`ill mbve the adjust ing element pressure against the spol.V`

In awhe'elghavngarni and hub, annular'"flanges"formedfadjacent the" endsf the hub; sockets frrned'uponfthe"outer'sids of'the' flanges {spoke'soennected betweenL said so'eke'ts and the"iiiin`g`adjustingelenen'ts'slidably mounted within thes-ket's 'in' engag'enientwiththe innerfends of fthe spkesgfand a redthreaded'into"each adjusting element andbearingaganst v`the hub 'wherebyf'a rotation of (the rod will move the adjusting element-'within the 'socket't vary the pressure against the spoke; and means formed upon the adjusting elements and engaging the ends of the spokes for preventing rot-ation of the adjusting element when the rod is rotated.

3. In a wheel having a rim and hub, annular flanges formed adjacent the ends of the hub; sockets formed upon the outer sides of the anges; spokes connected between said sockets and the rim; adjusting elements slidably mounted within the sockets in engagement with the inner ends of the spokes; andk a rod threaded into each adjusting element and bearing against the hub whereby a rotation of the rod will move the adjusting element Within the socket to vary the pressure against the spoke; and spikes formed upon the ladjusting element to engage the spoke to preventrotation of the adjusting element relative to the spoke when therod is 20 rotated.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature. i

LEONARD DEE sTEPHENsoN. 

